Biografia
Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Marie Jamora is proudly one of the few Filipinos in the Director's Guild of America. In her first year in the DGA, she has directed episodes for Ava DuVernay's award-winning Queen Sugar (OWN), Fire Country (CBS), The Resident (FOX), All Rise (OWN), Fantasy Island (FOX), Good Sam (CBS), GREASE: Rise of the Pink Ladies (Paramount+), and both seasons of The Cleaning Lady (FOX). Prior to that, the musician-director was named one of "Five Visionary Asian-American Female Filmmakers" in Kore Magazine's 'New Hollywood' issue. Her short film, Flip The Record, screened at over thirty festivals worldwide, winning the Grand Jury Award for "Best Narrative Short" at Urbanworld and was submitted for consideration for the 90th Academy Awards. Her feature film, What Isn't There (Ang Nawawala), premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and is considered a cult classic coming of age film in the Philippines. She is an executive producer and the director of both seasons of Family Style (HBO Max), an Asian food and pop culture show with Justin Lin's YOMYOMF and Warner Bros./Stage 13.
Marie began her career directing music videos during the golden age of the Philippine rock scene, where she directed over 50 music videos. After graduating from Columbia University with an MFA in Film, she returned to Manila to direct commercials and television. She was the director and show runner for the first season of Project Runway Philippines (Fremantle Media), and also directed for the longest running multi-cam variety show, Eat Bulaga! She directed commercial campaigns for Coca-Cola, San Miguel Beer, Colgate, and Maybelline.
After immigrating to Los Angeles in 2013 -- with a desire to amplify Filipino stories and as a champion of Philippine cinema -- Marie founded Cinema Sala, a screening and workshop series that showcases Filipinx artists in film and the performing arts through programming, distribution, and education. Cinema Sala has since partnered with ARRAY, Visual Communications, Outfest, CAPE, NALIP, and AFI Fest for their various screenings and events to showcase Filipinx works and is supported by the Sundance Institute, Cinereach, and the California Arts Council.
Marie became the first Filipinx director to be accepted into AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, where she wrote and directed Harana, which was in competition at Bentonville, BlackStar, Urbanworld, and HollyShorts. It has just won the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Narrative Short at the Sarasota Film Festival. Marie was also a part of the 2020 Warner Bros. Television Directors' Workshop, the Lifetime Director Shadowing Program, and the DGA Women's Steering Committee Squad.
After almost two decades of filmmaking and teaching in the Philippines, she is Adjunct Directing Faculty at the American Film Institute, an Advisor for Sundance Co//ab, and proudly one of the few Filipinos in the Director's Guild of America.
